The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink: Best and Worst John Hughes Films

February 14, 2015 3:36 AM

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Few films have captured the complex inner lives of American teenagers better than John Hughes’ “The Breakfast Club.” Released three decades ago on February 15, the movie, with its expert casting, pitch-perfect dialogue and refreshing sincerity, helped pave the way for others like “Heathers,” “Say Anything” and “Mean Girls,” as well as groundbreaking TV shows like “My So Called Life” and “Freaks and Geeks.” Virtually overnight, Hughes became the poet laureate of teen angst and a passionate chronicler of the modern high school experience. On the 30th anniversary of “The Breakfast Club,” here’s a look back at John Hughes’ 10 finest films, plus five that didn’t quite make the grade.

John Candy played the title role of a lovable oaf whose babysitting skills are put to the test in this lightweight yet undeniably funny family comedy. The fifth of eight Hughes films in which he appeared, Candy showed winning chemistry with 9-year old Macaulay Culkin in what remains a career highlig...